RALEIGH (April 2, 2013) — Following last week’s Easter celebrations, postcards from hundreds of North Carolinians will be delivered to Senator Hagan and Senator Burr on Wednesday, April 3, urging them to remember the lesson of the loaves and fishes and support a moral federal budget that includes new revenues and spares the “least of these” from devastating spending cuts.

“Just as there were enough loaves and fishes to feed the 5,000 in 1st century Galilee, these loaves and fishes remind us that in 21st century America there is still enough to go around – as long as we pass moral budgets that include new revenues,” the cards read. “We can rebuild our economy without hurting poor people and seniors if Congress has the courage to end special tax breaks for the richest Americans and big corporations.”

Nearly 300 petitioners’ names will be delivered to North Carolina Senators this week on postcards with the image of loaves and fishes to remind lawmakers that there’s “still enough to go around.”

The U.S. House and Senate have pursued two radically different visions of the federal budget over the last several weeks. The Senate budget, proposed by Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray and adopted by the Senate on March 23, represents a balanced approach that includes new revenues. The second plan—proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and passed by the House on March 21—represents an irresponsible and immoral approach that gives tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans while enacting deep cuts to those public investments that help children, seniors, and the most vulnerable.

By signing the cards, North Carolinians are urging their lawmakers to take the Murray approach and pass a “moral budget” that includes new revenues, protects the vulnerable, and helps rebuild our economy. More revenues are critical to protecting children, the poor, and the elderly from unnecessary and harmful spending cuts.

“In the days leading up to Easter, hundreds of people signed these postcards to remind our Senators that budgets are moral documents that should not ask the most vulnerable to pay the most for deficit reduction,” said Allan Freyer, Public Policy Analyst with the Budget and Tax Center, a project of the North Carolina Justice Center. “Instead, we can remember the lesson of the loaves and fishes—there’s still enough to go around as long as we take a moral approach to deficit reduction that includes new revenues.”